Former FAMU Band Director Is Charged in Hit and Run Accident

DNA tests are now complete and famed former FAMU Marching 100 director Dr. William Foster has been arrested for being behind the wheel in a hit and run accident.

Dr. William Foster turned himself in at the Leon County Jail Tuesday afternoon to face charges in a hit and run accident. He had no comment for our camera, but court records show he told police he heard a bump while driving that day, but didn't realize he'd hit anyone.

Foster is accused of striking 80-year-old Robert "Mickey" Safford on Duval Street. He woke up in the hospital four days after the accident. He's still hospitalized and can't walk yet.

Sue Safford, the accident victim's wife, says, "Really, our lives have been shattered, both of our lives because of the worry about him. He's had a lot of complications."

Safford and his wife are relieved that Foster has finally been arrested, though it's been six weeks to the day.

Safford says, "If that was me or anybody younger they would have been locked up in the jail the day they said they did it, like the next day when he came in, gave himself up, they should have thrown him in a cell and thrown away the key."

INV Tracy Clark with TPD says, "What we were waiting on was the DNA samples from FDLE. We actually took the hair and tissue samples from the windshield of Dr. Foster's car and compared them with a swab from Mr. Safford and sent them to FDLE for comparison. Once I got the results from that comparison, it was a positive match and I issued the arrest warrant.”

Dr. Foster faces felony charges of fleeing the scene of an accident with injuries. He had no comment about his arrest on Tuesday.

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